


Empyrean Conscript

by AsherWritesAStory, Galaxybean



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Marvel Cinematic Universe Fusion, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, M/M, Mind Control, Neurosurgeon Craig, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Soldier!tweek, expect this to get dark, most likely angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:43:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsherWritesAStory/pseuds/AsherWritesAStory, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galaxybean/pseuds/Galaxybean
Summary: Time is lost. It’s an imaginary concept of realty that has no tangible grasp.Time is forgotten. It floats amongst the night sky with thousands of stars.Nothing is real. The world you see is a figminted part of your imagination.And everything is ending. Whether or not they wanted to accept it that was what the world was coming to.But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Because Craig was already too far gone to be saved. And no matter what he did he couldn’t bring him down from the nebula’s that pulled him in.And Tweek’s mind was corrupt. So no matter what he tried everything was wrong and the world was after him.But maybe, just maybe, that’s why they needed each other more than they actually realized.





	1. The Concept of Space

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there. Check out my Tumblr and Ali’s Tumblr. 
> 
> My Account : https://masked-vigilante.tumblr.com/
> 
> Ali’s Account : https://foxalicat.tumblr.com/

It was funny how one little accident could change his whole life, his whole world. One little accident that he wasn’t even fully aware of how it happened. Because it shouldn’t of happened. Things like this never happened. At least not to him. 

It was going to change him as a person, change the way he saw life and how he faced new experiences. It was going to change his whole life in ways that he didn’t quite fully understand yet. 

Because this certainly wasn’t how he intended on spending his day; currently shaking and convulsing on a gurney as he was being wheeled into the emergency room.

His vision was blurry, voices all sounded the same and none of them registering in his mind. Nothing made sense any more. He didn’t even know what was going on around him anymore because his brain just couldn’t process what was happening. 

He was always so careful. So mindful of everything he did. There were never any flaws and everything was well calculated out before he even attempted them. 

But not this time. This time was different and this time may have cost him a lot more than he ever could’ve realized. 

He knew one of the numerous nurses in the room was putting a mask on his face. He knew another was checking his pulse. But other than that he had absolutely no idea what was even going on.

And his eyes suddenly closed and his mind went blank as he slipped into an unconscious state of mind.

He hoped he would make it out of this alive and get to see another day. He hoped they could fix whatever was wrong with him even if he didn’t know _what_ was wrong with him. But he was still hoping for a miracle.

Because at this point not even he knew what was going on but he was seeing stars. So many stars and swirling novas in so many colors. It was as if he was in space, traveling through a vortex of meteors and stars.

But then it happened. And it was weird too. Because he saw himself. At least he thought it to be himself. Maybe it was his subconscious. Maybe it was him in another life. Either way, he was pretty sure the person he was staring at was a different version of him.

And he wanted to know more. He _needed_ to know more. Because maybe this version of himself would have the answers that he seeked.

So ever so cautiously he reached out as he slowly made his way towards his other self. 

But the other self didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe they just didn’t care. They looked as if they were pretty deep in their own thoughts. Their own state of mind. Because their eyes were closed, and they were peacefully meditating; floating inches above the ground below him.

It was amazing really if he was being honest with himself. Because whatever this was, it wasn’t his reality. It wasn’t what he knew. And that scared him.

“Hello?” 

But his other self didn’t budge. Didn’t even move a muscle. He stayed focused on whatever it was he was doing.

“You have to wake up.”

“What?”

He stopped in his tracks when his other self opened his eyes slowly and had a small smirk spread across his features. 

“You’ve been asleep for a while,” he came back down to the earth below his feet and stepped towards himself. “You have to wake up. They’re starting to get worried.”

“Who is?”

The other self made his way past him, well actually through him as if he were a ghost, and looked out onto the horizon of a never ending universe of stars.

So he turned and followed his other self, keeping his eyes focused on this mysterious part of himself that he wished he understood better. This part of himself that he wanted to try and figure out. 

“The doctors. The nurses. The people who are trying to save your life.”

He raised an eyebrow and his features twisted into a look of confusion. 

“Save my-“ his voice trailed off briefly, “what are you talking about?”

And the other self turned, finally facing him and looking him in the eyes as he placed a hand on his shoulder, “you need to wake up.”

But before he could even get out another word the other self placed his free hand in his forehead and the two merged together.

The world started spinning. Nothing seemed right and there were so many flashing colors that he didn’t know what exactly he was suppose to be looking at.

And it was making him dizzy. Making him sick. Making him wish that whatever was happening right now would just stop. 

But he woke up. He woke up frantic and gasping for breath as he wheezed slowly and unevenly and sweat rolled down his face. He felt dizzy and disoriented. He didn’t like this feeling and he wanted it to go away.

“Calm down, easy…” he felt a reassuring hand get placed on his shoulder and another get placed on his back.

“What- where?” His eyes scanned the room. Everything was white, and cold. And it took him a moment to fully focus on his surroundings.

But he was, in fact, in a hospital bed. He was hooked up to beeping machines and his hands! His hands were wrapped in bandages…

What the hell happened to him?

“You’re in the hospital,” the nurse spoke to him gently as she laid him back against the pillows behind him. 

“But I don’t understand…” he looked up at her with his eyes wavering as he tried to further grasp the concept of what exactly was going on.

The nurse offered him a small smile before backing away slowly and staring down at him with her kind eyes.

“You were in an accident. Ran off the highway, landing in a plot of small farm land at the bottom of a hill.”

The man studied his hands with careful eyes as if he was trying to remember. He didn’t understand the situation he was in. He didn’t even understand what had fully happened in his lab.

He didn’t even know what he was working on when this happened. And it didn’t even seem like it was all that long ago he was doing this but he just couldn’t recall the situation no matter how hard he tried. 

“But-“

“You need to rest. You’re going to have a long road to recovery ahead of you.”

_Recovery._

He wanted to recover his memories. He wanted to recall exactly what it was he was doing. He wanted to know what caused him to end up in this current situation.

But figuring out those answers would have to wait. 

Because right now he was dizzy and disoriented. He was confused and nothing made a lot of sense. But he was tired. So maybe when he woke up in the morning he could start filling in the gaps and piecing together the missing links.

So he let his eyes close. He let himself peacefully doze off into a state of slumber.

But when he did he saw his other self. 

And it scared him because he also saw a world of chaos behind him. He saw the world falling apart.

He saw what he assumed to be the end of the world.

And that thought was enough to terrify him.


	2. Another Cold Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I heard you.”
> 
> He sounded harsh and cold in his response but he didn’t care.
> 
> “Then why have you not answered me?”
> 
> He stared him down again. Biting at the inside of his cheek to resist the urge to say anything that he considered out of line.
> 
> “Because…” he looked away as his expression hardened, his brain deep in thought. “I’m still waking up…”

His head throbbed and ached as cold receded from his extremities. Warmth was flooding to his limbs after an immeasurable time in stasis. 

He kept his eyes shut as long as he could, dreading the return to complete consciousness with the inevitably of another mission. He didn’t want to hurt anyone but that's what they wanted him to do. They wanted him to kill. 

He’d long since lost count of the numerous lives lost at the other end of his gun, rifle, or even his cybernetic steel fist.

He didn’t want that. Not anymore. Not again. He couldn’t handle knowing he was to blame. That he was the responsible party behind innocent lives being taken. 

He saw his evil face and the sinister smile that lined his features when his vision came to. And it made his blood boil, made his chest tighten and his hands clench into fists. 

He hated this man. He hated him with every fiber of his being.

Maybe today would be the day that he punch him in the face. The day he break free and leave all of this behind so he can start anew. 

“Hello again my boy.”

His voice. He hated his voice. And his accent. He hated that too. He started grinding his teeth together as he stared him down.

He could break this little man in half if he wanted to, and he really did want to. But it would cost him his freedom. He would be put back into stasis.

“How are you?”

He could answer him, sure. But he really didn’t want to. But he knew this man wouldn’t stand for that. He knew he would receive some sort of punishment for not responding. 

Because this man saved his life. At least that’s what he would tell him.

He didn’t ask to be saved. 

He should’ve been dead. Maybe being dead would’ve been better than this insufferable hell he had to tolerate.

“I asked you a question.”

“I heard you.”

He sounded harsh and cold in his response but he didn’t care.

“Then why have you not answered me?”

He stared him down again. Biting at the inside of his cheek to resist the urge to say anything that he considered out of line.

“Because…” he looked away as his expression hardened, his brain deep in thought. “I’m still waking up…”

It was a lie. But he didn’t care. And he knew that this little buffoon of a man would never be able to understand the depths of his mind and figure out that he had just lied right to his tiny weasel face. 

And it made him feel proud in a way. Because his social skills and ability to interact with others was improving from the last time he was given the ability to be free. 

But maybe this time he could have the control he desired over his own mind. 

“I will ask again then,” the man stared up at him as two other men undid the stars that kept him held upright on the cold metal table they kept him secured to during his time in the icebox. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.”

He stepped forward and slowly made his way towards the incompetent worm of a man who was holding him here.

He rubbed his wrists and cracked his neck and he watched at this wicked little man formed a venomous smile on his face.

He knew that look. He knew it better than he would like to admit. There were gears turning in the German’s head and that meant something bad was about to happen.

“Dreifaches,”

His eyes widened.

No. 

He couldn’t do this again. 

He didn’t want to do this again. 

He needed to fight it. It needed to resist everything that was about to happen.

“Totes,”

His hands went to his ears. His teeth clenched together.

He had to fight it.

“Auge.”

He dropped down his knees and pressed his forehead against the cold floor. His body started to shake. 

He could do it if he tried hard enough. He could resist it. He could overcome it.

The little snake stepped closer, his boots visible to the soldier who was holding on to the last bit of his humanity that he could control.

He knew what was about to happen and he absolutely did not want that. He knew that if he said those words again all at the same time that he would snap. That his humanity would slip away and that he would be under the command of this little pest.

“Dreifaches Totes Auge.” 

His humanity fell away, his eyes going cold as he waited for the little man to give him his orders. Slowly he stood, looking down at the man who controlled him with a dead look on his face.

“Good, good…” he heard the little man murmur as he studied him.

His eyes followed as he moved. But his body remained still.

There was still a tiny part of him that wanted to reach out and wrap his fingers around his fat neck. Wanted to lift him off the ground and throw him against the wall.

But he knew he could never do that.

Because he couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

At least not in this state of mind. 

“Are you ready for your mission, soldier?”

So he nodded. He wasn’t, truly ready but he didn’t have a say in his actions right now. He was being given orders. And he would complete them no matter what. 

“I need you to take out a Tibetan adversary who knows too much about our project.”

He listened intently, taking in every detail that was given to him. Making sure he had the man’s description engraved in his mind. 

“Do you understand your orders?”

“Yes sir,” the words tasted like poison on his tongue. A poison he should be use to by now… but it never got any better no matter how many times it lingered. 

So he planned his next moves carefully. He knew his mission. He knew his target. 

And now, it was go time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading the chapter. 
> 
> Feedback is welcomed and appreciated.


	3. Starry Visions & Cloudy Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything faded together. He lost track of time, lost track of the days. Everything blended together and he didn’t like it.
> 
> And on top of everything fading together nothing made sense. Every time he closed his eyes he saw a glistening galaxy filled with hundreds of stars and swirling vortexes that caused his head to throb. 
> 
> So needless to say it was all very confusing to him.
> 
> Hell, at this point everything confused him. His mind couldn’t focus and nothing made sense.
> 
> But it seemed as if all these weird visions were trying to convey some sort of message that he couldn’t figure out and it was driving him mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. Check out my Tumblr and Ali’s Tumblr.
> 
> My Account : https://masked-vigilante.tumblr.com/
> 
> Ali’s Account : https://foxalicat.tumblr.com/

Everything faded together. He lost track of time, lost track of the days. Everything blended together and he didn’t like it.

And on top of everything fading together nothing made sense. Every time he closed his eyes he saw a glistening galaxy filled with hundreds of stars and swirling vortexes that caused his head to throb. 

So needless to say it was all very confusing to him.

Hell, at this point everything confused him. His mind couldn’t focus and nothing made sense.

But it seemed as if all these weird visions were trying to convey some sort of message that he couldn’t figure out and it was driving him mad. 

“Good morning mister Tucker.”

He knew that voice. That was a comforting voice that he had come to know during the duration of his stay in the hospital. 

“Morning,” he somehow managed to muster up a smile and give the nurse a small wave with a shaky hand.

“How’re you doing today?”

_No better than any other day…_

“Fine.”

It wasn’t the first time he had lied to his nurse. And it probably wouldn’t be the last time either. 

He wasn’t exactly proud of the fact that he was lying to her but he needed to continue to put on a front. He needed to continue to hope that she would continue to fall for this fake facade.

And by the looks of it, it seemed to have been working… once again.

His eyes followed her and she got closer, eventually stopping at his bedside.

He knew what she was doing, it had become routine at this point since she had done it so many times.

It was a routine that he could probably recite with his eyes closed if he tried to do so.

Not that he wanted to, but he _could_.

But it would never happen. It wouldn’t happen because every time he closed his eyes a never ending array of cosmos flooded his vision and flowed into his brain. Shooting stars and numerous planets…

He was smart but this was one thing he would probably never be able to figure out.

“Mister Tucker?” The nurse lightly nudged his shoulder.

He blinked and looked up at her with a confused look on his face.

“Are you alright?”

He stared at the woman as he continued to blink slowly to come back into his right sense of mind. And he watched as his nurse’s expression twisted into one of worry as she looked down at him. 

“Yeah, I’m fine…” he sat up a little more, “just fine.”

And with that he watched as her features softened and her smile returned once again.

In all reality he wasn’t fine though. But he couldn’t just tell her that. She wouldn’t understand, she would probably think him mad. 

But he was struggling to grasp this whole ordeal. He was beginning to struggle with what was actually reality and what was a projection from his mind. 

Maybe he should tell her about it. Maybe he should tell her about the glowing novas and sparkling stars in the universe that clouded his mind. Maybe he should tell her about the weird visions, the other version of himself and the black holes that plagued his mind for so long.

But she would probably think he was delusional if he were to open up about all of this craziness to her. 

Better yet she probably wouldn’t even believe him. 

So instead he sighed and kept his mouth shut. 

It would be better that way.

“You spaced out on me for a second there so I got quite worried about you.”

Spaced out. 

She didn’t even begin to understand how true that statement was. 

“Apologies.”

She watched as his eyes drifted to his hands, how his hands shook from the nerve damage he had suffered from his accident.

“Can you make your hands stop shaking for me?”

His brown eyes snapped up and stared at her face with a look that could be read as anger and disdain. 

“ _What?_ ”

His voice was harsh, probably a lot harsher than it should have been. 

“I _can’t_.”

She reached forward and grabbed one of his hands with her own and held it gently as she looked at him, her face full of hope and determination.

“You can do it mister Tucker, I just need you to focus.”

Focus.

That was something he was having a really hard time doing now a days. 

So his eyes drifted back down to his hands and she set his hand that she was holding before back down onto his lap.

So he tried his best to focus. His gaze was quite intense as he studied his hands and his fingers.

He watched how they trembled. He focused on the blacked fingertips and how the black faded to grey and then out to match his skin tone when it reached his wrists. 

It was the strangest thing he had ever witnessed in his whole twenty-nine years of existence on this planet.

And the harder he focused the more he realized.

There were tiny specks of his skin color peeking through the blacken areas. It reminded him of the night sky.

“Mister Tucker?”

Right.

He needed to focus on stopping the movement of his frantic, shaking hands and fingers.

So he focused. He kept his gaze locked on his hands in an attempt to stop the trembling fingers, even it was for a mere second.

But nothing came to him.

His hands continued to shake and his heart sank into his stomach. 

It made him frustrated. So he tried again. He focused harder, kept his mind fixated on what he wanted to do and his eyes locked on his injured appendages.

But nothing came to him and he grit his teeth together as he grew frustrated.

He heard his nurse sigh. He blinked and looked at her.

She was hurting for him. She knew he was trying. She could see that nothing was coming. And it was making her feel bad for him.

She wouldn’t admit that though, however. But he could see it. It was written all over her face and in her eyes. 

“Can you fix me?”

The young woman seemed taken back by his question. But it’s not like it was something she was expecting to come out of his mouth.

“Mister Tucker…”

He could sense the sadness in her voice. So he prepared himself for the worst news possible even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“We’re performed several surgeries on you, all of which have been done by the best surgeons we have, but-“

Several surgeries? He couldn’t recall them performing more than the initial one. Maybe everything really was lost to time. Maybe his head really was up in space with the stars. 

“I do have an alternate method of healing you can try.”

He raised an eyebrow as he studied her face. 

“Which is…?”

She reached into the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out a small piece of paper that had a coordinates written on it in calligraphy.

And nothing else but that. No address. No phone number. Just coordinates. 

“What the hell is this?”

“Those coordinates will lead you to a hidden temple in Tibet located in the Himalayas that may be able to assist you and allow you to get better.”

He stared at the small business card with a million questions facing through his mind. 

“Are you kidding me?”

There is was. His usual cocky and arrogant behavior.

“What do you mean?”

“What’s a temple in Tibet going to do to help me regain the ability to make my hands stop shaking like this?”

He watched at the nurse’s once hopeful expression drop. Watched how she tried to avoid his gaze.

“They’ve worked miracles before mister Tucker…” her voice was sheepish, “and while you may not believe in that sort of thing they have worked plenty of miracles and healed many before you.”

“Oh yeah? Like who?”

“Well,” she finally looked at him again, “like me. For you see, I was in an accident when I was eighteen that left me wheelchair bound for several years.”

“You?”

She nodded, “please give them a chance. The Ancient One is probably the only one with the ability to heal your wounds.”

His eyes got wider as he stared at her and his face twisted into several different expressions within a matter of minutes.

He had hundreds of questions he wanted to ask. Hell, he had hundreds of concerns as well. 

But he bit his tongue in order to control himself from lashing out at her again. 

He knew when he overstepped his boundaries and when to hold himself back. And this was definitely one of those times.

“When I get out of here I’ll, I guess, go find this mystic little place and see if they can help me.”

Her face beamed with a smile.

“You won’t be disappointed mister Tucker, I promise.”

“Hope not…”

She smiled one more time, “I’ll be back in a few hours with your dinner, okay?”

He said nothing, his eyes looking back down at the paper he was shakily holding. 

So she left without another word, leaving him to his thoughts. Left him to his conscious and the never ending darkness that plagued him and loomed over his mind whenever he closed his eyes.

She left him with the never ending fear of a terrible feeling that he couldn’t quite shake, and the visions of the celestial planes that haunted his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying what we’ve got so far since we have a lot more to share.
> 
> But thank you for taking some time out of your day to read this chapter, it means a lot to me.
> 
> As always feedback is welcomed and appreciated.


	4. A Clearer Mind & A New Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He blinked, totally confused and a little dazed as to what just happened. What exactly did happen? Where even was he? Nothing was making much sense and it was starting to trigger a small anxiety attack. 
> 
> His eyes darted around the small shop taking his surroundings. There were several people surrounding him and he couldn’t pinpoint who was the one who whispered those words to him.

It had taken almost a month for him to do his research and make his way to the remote area of Tibet where his target lived.

The intel that he'd gathered had led him to this small village in the middle of the Tibetan mountains, famous for its long standing monastery with almost magical healing properties.

It was difficult to believe, the fact that there was such a thing as ‘magical properties’… but then again, he had been frozen in stasis for the past however long so he guessed anything was possible at this point and during this day and age.

He wandered the village memorizing the layout and listening to the local gossip. He found a small coffee shop where he could compile his notes and plan in the tranquil setting.

And upon his travels and exploration he happened upon a stranger in a bedraggled state. He looked a mess; his beard unkempt and he looked as if he was in desperate need of a haircut.

It wasn’t the first time he had seen that man either. He had seen him stumbling around and mumbling about some hidden temple within the mountains which something he couldn’t quite comprehend.

But whenever he was around this weird mystery man he wasn’t the one getting the strange looks from the locals. He wasn’t the one being stared at and being pointed at or being whispered about.

No. 

Instead it was this weird and crazy vagabond. And that was good. Because it allowed him to go unnoticed and hide amongst the crowds. It allowed him to be the unsuspecting figure. And that was something that was needed in order for him to successfully carry out his orders.

His equipment had arrived and he had found the perfect vantage point. A month had almost passed and he could tell the little snake was getting impatient. Packages had arrived at the small set of rooms he’d rented out for his stay in the mountains at a various assortment of hotels and other living accommodations.

Supplies. Weapons. Everything he should need to take out his target. He'd made up his mind, he needed to take the initiative while he could.One more week of surveillance and then he'd make his move.

But first, coffee.

He had stopped in a local café often in the time he'd been in the village, always ordering a coffee as it had always been something he liked drinking. He ordered his drink and sat in a seat to enjoy the hot beverage.

He turned out his mind focused on the drink in his hands.

“...Entkoffeiniertes Flaches Weiß...” 

He blinked, totally confused and a little dazed as to what just happened. What exactly did happen? Where even was he? Nothing was making much sense and it was starting to trigger a small anxiety attack. 

His eyes darted around the small shop taking his surroundings. There were several people surrounding him and he couldn’t pinpoint who was the one who uttered those words to him.

He had almost dropped the half empty cup in his hands as he shakily patted at his pockets. He had vaguely recalled taking notes and keeping them on his person.

There had to be something, anything, that could help him. 

_Ah… There._

He pulled out the thin device. He vaguely remembered learning about the it but there it was, a cellular phone. He hesitantly unlocked the device as it seemed to be coded to his fingerprint.

A few anxious moments of searching through the contents of the phone and he uncovered a memo that contained two addresses. 

He found a map on the device, entering one of the addresses and he went in his way,

It was a short walk but he soon found himself at his destination, an apartment. And upon further inspection of his pockets he unearthed a set of keys and a wallet with an inordinate amount of cash. The license and passport seemed to have been updated with the times.

And he wasn’t under a false name either which surprised him greatly. 

Right next to the really ugly photo of himself were his specifications and his name, Tweek Tweak, in black and white.

He hated his name and it had caused him quite a bit of grief back in his youth.

He’d been forced to physically defend himself over his stupid name. He didn’t like fighting… and look at where he’d landed himself. He worked as a fucking mercenary.

He was killing for the sake of killing. And for the sake of the orders that were given to him from the little German weasel.

But now? Right now at this very given moment he found himself confused. He found himself in control of the situation for the first time in what seemed to been months. Or perhaps even years.

He was unsure of how long he had been under the control of the little sewer rat but he was free now. 

Free to do what he pleased. Free to explore and live his life the way he wanted to.

But the only problem was that he was unsure how to live his life. Unsure how to go about a daily routine and figuring out everything life had to throw at him simply because he hadn’t had a freedom like this in years.

And it scared him.

It scared him because the world was a scary place, even to someone like him.

He sighed softly and his eyes scanned his surroundings, the wind blowing his hair in his face as he studied the people who surrounded him, stopping on one individual in particular who was staring up at one of the nearby mountains.

Tweek recognized him, it was hard to not remember him. His black hair a mess, his outfit… well his outfit was also a mess. He looked as if he hadn’t showered in days. So Tweek was careful as he stepped closer, listening to him curse and mumble under his breath.

“Do you know where the temple is?”

It caught Tweek off guard as this man looked him in the eyes, his frame slightly towering over the blonde’s. Tweek cast his eyes up, realizing this man needed to shave and just, as a whole, clean himself up.

“What?”

“The temple… I need to get to the temple on top of one of these fucking mountains and I don’t know where it is.”

“I have no idea what you-”

He watched as the man grew more agitated, pushing past him and making his way to who only knew where. Tweek watched him go, watched as he continued to study the structure before him as if he could magically figure out where this temple was.

But Tweek shrugged. It wasn’t his issue, nor his problem, to worry about. His problem right now was figuring out where he was going to go, what he was going to do, and how he would get back at the german snake who made him do his bidding for all these years.

Made him kill a countless number of possibly innocent people who had nothing to do with whatever it was he was planning on doing.

So he made his way through town, deciding to just take it all in and actually explore without having to deal with a mission. He needed to unwind, he needed to think, and he needed to just, overall, get his shit and his life together in order to move forward with this whole idea of living freely. So starting with something simple such as a walk seemed like the best thing for him, and his sanity, to do.


	5. Astral Awakenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Craig slowly closed his eyes and let everything overtake his body. Stars twinkled in the blackness of his eyelids, and his mind grew smokey with a haze of clouds rollings in and overtaking his consciousness.
> 
> There were cosmos, and galaxies. Twinkling stars forming constellations and an endless mass of blackness came forth and he saw his other self levitating, surrounded by books of the unknown as he stared out into the nothingness that surrounded him.
> 
> “Nice to see you again…” It was weird listening to his own voice, especially when he was speaking to himself. If anyone else was around they would think he was crazy, and maybe he was crazy. At this point in his life he was starting to believe that to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. Check out my main and my writing Tumblr accounts :
> 
> Main : https://masked-vigilante.tumblr.com/
> 
> Writing : https://craigwritesastory.tumblr.com/

As each day passed him by he was growing more and more agitated by the second. No one in this little town seemed to know where the temple was that he was talking about whenever he would ask.

He was beginning to think that his nurse was full of shit and this whole trip was literally a wild goose chase that was leading him nowhere. He had spent the past month of his life wandering around looking like a vagabond and sounding like a complete and utter lunatic.

He sat in an alley between two buildings and slid his back down the wall, bringing his knees to his chest and looking up at the dawn sky up above him as he let out a long, frustrated sigh.

Craig slowly closed his eyes and let everything overtake his body. Stars twinkled in the blackness of his eyelids, and his mind grew smokey with a haze of clouds rollings in and overtaking his consciousness.

There were cosmos, and galaxies. Twinkling stars forming constellations and an endless mass of blackness came forth and he saw his other self levitating, surrounded by books of the unknown as he stared out into the nothingness that surrounded him.

_ “Nice to see you again…” _ It was weird listening to his own voice, especially when he was speaking to himself. If anyone else was around they would think he was crazy, and maybe he was crazy. At this point in his life he was starting to believe that to be true.

Craig slowly approached, raising an eyebrow and looking over his other self’s shoulder to stare at the tome in front of him that he was studying.

But the book itself made no sense. It was written in a language that not even Craig could understand or even come close to deciphering which was driving him mad. Craig didn’t understand a damn thing that was happening with these vision and he was starting to wish he did.

Because maybe they could help him better understand the situation at hand.

“What the hell are you looking at?”

The other self looked at him with a smug expression on his face. Craig knew that look well, it was one he often had spread on his own face. He rolled his eyes and gave his other self the same exact expression as he crossed his arms, feeling them shake oh so slightly against the sleeves of his top.

_ “It would do you a world of good to know this information.” _

Craig licked at his bottom lip and grabbed one of the floating tomes, his hands trembling as he studied the scripture and the vast amounts of images plastered across the yellowed and torn pages.

His eyes studied everything as intently as he could but the information before him made no sense. 

“Would help if I knew what I was looking at because it doesn’t make a lot of fucking sense.”

The other him snickered, grabbing the book from his hands and placing it before him once again as he slowly shut his eyes, returning to his meditative state of mind.

_ “Broaden your horizons and really understand the world around you.” _

“I spent most of my life going to college to get my degree, my horizons are already broadened plenty thanks.”

His other self laughed once more and opened an eye to glance over at Craig, a cheeky little grin pulling on his lips.

_ “You're looking at the world through a keyhole. You spent your whole life trying to widen that keyhole. To see more, to know more; and now, on hearing that it can be widened in ways you can't imagine... you reject the possibility.” _

Craig stared at his other self with a furrowed brow as he ran a hand down his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He was slowly becoming stressed out and his fuse was growing shorter with how much bullshit he could actual deal with for today.

“You know, you and all this cryptic shit are really starting to piss me off.”

Aggravation spread across the mystic’s face as he closed the books around him with a simple wave of one of his fingers before his body rotated to face the one standing near him.

_ “Measure your next words carefully doctor.” _

“Why would I do that?”

_ “Because you don’t understand the world that resides around you and in order for you to accomplish your goals you must learn to accept that.” _

There was an awkward silence between the two as they stared intently at one another, the gem housed within the pendant hanging from the astral self’s neck sparkled brightly as he leaned in closer, their faces inches apart from one another as one gave a smug expression while the other had an expression of annoyance.

_ “You think you know how the world works and you think that this material universe is all there is. But do you truly know what is real and what mysteries lie beyond the reach of your senses?” _

“What’re you-“

_ “At the root of existence, mind and matter meet. Thoughts shape reality and this universe is only one of an infinite number. Worlds without end. Some benevolent and life-giving; Others filled with malice and hunger. Dark places, where powers older than time lie... ravenous... and waiting. Who are you in this vast Multiverse, Dr. Tucker?” _

There were a lot of things running through Craig’s head, thing number one being anger.

“Alright listen asshole,”

_ “Time is ticking Tucker… so may I suggest you figure out exactly what it is you want in this world before seeking out something you clearly do not quite yet understand?” _

Craig couldn’t react quick enough. The other version of himself reached forward and placed his index and middle finger on his forehead before an unseen force pushed him backwards into the nothingness, sending him flying back into the darkness that surrounded him.

And then he returned to reality, feeling a jolt run through him as if his soul had returned, as if there was a part of him that had been missing and finally came back.

The black haired man rubbed his temples as he stood quickly, making his way out of the hidden alley and back into the small market place.

There was something he needed to understand. There was something that was floating around in the sense of the unknown that prevented him from moving forward with his mission.

And Craig Tucker simply wouldn’t have that. He needed to understand the world around him. He needed to understand the unknown. 

But he felt as if he couldn’t do that on his own. His eyes went down to his trembling hands as he sighed, brushing his bangs out of his face and staring up at the mountain he had circled so many times before.

“Lost, friend?”

Craig looked over his shoulder to see a man approaching him who had a smile on his face. It was odd to say the least considering Craig had never seen this man before today.

“Depends on what your definition of lost is…” his response was snarky. But of course it was. Craig was always snarky.

“What I mean is that you seem like you’re looking for something. Perhaps I can be of some assistance?”

Craig peaked a brow of interest, “do you know of a hidden monastery somewhere in the mountains?”

“Ah,” the dark blonde haired man spoke, pointing up into an area of the mountain that was hidden amongst the clouds. “You seek the help of the Ancient One.”

“The who now?”

“Come with me and I will take you there. Soon all of your questions will be answered.”

“I don’t know you, so why would I come with you?”

The man beamed from ear to ear and placed a hand on Craig’s shoulder, “my name is Kevin.”

He held out a hand, looking down at Craig’s shaking one.

“Tucker. Dr. Craig Tucker,” he hesitated before reaching out and shaking Kevin’s hand as he brushed the man’s other hand off of his shoulder.

“Well Dr. Tucker, it’s a pleasure to meet you! Now come… the Ancient One awaits us.”

It was a start. And while Craig still didn’t fully understand what was happening he was willing to at least take the jump and make an attempt to at least learn everything that he needed to do in order to maybe allow himself to find a sense of peace.

So he followed the man in front of him with a new found sense of direction and the secret location finally about the be found. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much for taking some time out of your day to read this, I really appreciate it.
> 
> Feedback is welcomed and appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> This piece is something my girlfriend and I are collaborating on together; I’ll be writing mostly odd chapters and she’ll be writing mostly even chapters but sometimes that may change. 
> 
> This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now but I wasn’t exactly sure where to start with it. But inspiration struck and I just went with it. And I have so much more planned with this story so I hope you stick around. 
> 
> But I would just like to say thank you so much for taking some time out of your day to read this, it means a lot to me.
> 
> As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated!


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